Latest Islanders stories

The Islanders have had trouble attracting free agents to the decaying Nassau Coliseum.

"On some level, it is a hindrance to us becoming a great team if we can't attract the top players," said Moulson, who has had back-to-back seasons of 30 goals or more.

DiPietro, who was drafted by the Islanders first overall in 2000, has seen this become a trend during his tenure with the team.

"That's a huge thing when you're trying to attract free agents," he said. "When free agents haven't necessarily seen enough besides the building to know that Long Island is a beautiful place to live -- one of the top destinations -- that makes it hard on and Garth [Snow]."

Snow offered more money to top free-agent defensemen Paul Martin and Dan Hamhuis last July, but they signed elsewhere. This summer, he offered more in annual average salary to defenseman Christian Ehrhoff, who went to Buffalo instead.

The Islanders have missed the playoffs the past four seasons, which also hurts their pursuit of free agents. The ambiguity surrounding the team's future is another factor.

"The uncertainty is an issue," Snow said. "Professional athletes who are looking to set down their roots want to know where they are going to be two, five, 10 years down the road. The uncertainty is definitely a deterrent. That's not debatable, it's a fact."

Subscribe to Newsday’s sports newsletter

Receive stories, photos and videos about your favorite New York teams plus national sports news and events.